Memorable | One of the Best
Murphy’s Steak House
Review by: Jane & Michael Stern
Murphy’s calls itself a steak house, but to us it looks more like a diner: counter and stools, bare-tabled booths, and a staff of waitresses who git ‘er done. The menu does include steaks, and those that we’ve seen on other people’s plates look large and good. Nevertheless, it’s not for steak that we recommend a visit to this 1940s-era eatery just east of the Osage Indian reservation. It is for a hot hamburger.
If you have pictured in your head some sort of beef patty in some sort of bun, erase that picture and consider this: pieces of toasted white bread spread out on a plate topped with a large hamburger that has been hacked into pieces, the burger topped with a mountain of French fries, and the French fries topped with a large spill of dark, beefy gravy as rich as a Mexican mole. It’s a magic combination, especially the way the crisp logs of fried potato soften in places where the gravy blankets them, imbibing a rich beefy savor for which squiggles of onion (an optional component) are an ideal accent. Even folks who come for steak instead of chopped-up hamburger know to order a side dish of fried potatoes with gravy.
Variations on the theme include a hot cheeseburger, hot beef, hot steak, and hot ham.
The front of Murphy’s menu is emblazoned with a motto that is one of our favorites: “Gravy Over All.” When anyone orders a hot hamburger, the motto becomes a question. The waitress asks, “Gravy over all?” We can’t imagine saying no.
Directions & Hours
11am - 9pm
- Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Friday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Saturday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Information
| Price | $ |
| Seasons | All |
| Meals Served | Lunch, Dinner |
| Credit Cards Accepted | Yes |
| Alcohol Served | No |
| Outdoor Seating | No |
What To Eat
Hot Hamburger
DISH
Murphy’s Steak House Recipes
Discuss
What do you think of Murphy’s Steak House?
2 Responses to “Murphy’s Steak House”
Alonnah Watson
September 5th, 2021
My mother made the gravy in the 70’s and early 80’s. I wish I had gotten the recipe from her. If anyone has it I would love to have it
Craig Earickson
January 13th, 2012
Murphy’s is a true 60’s throwback. Chrome stools at the bar and booths. In fact, Murphy’s was destroyed by tornado in the 80’s and was rebuilt on the same footprint with virtually the same interior. If trendy, modern atmosphere is what you want, then Murphy’s is not your place. If great food, surrounded by friendly working people is what you want, then this is your place. If you get there around lunch or dinner time, be prepared to wait for a table up to an hour (it’s that busy). They have a waiting room to get out of the weather, but it’ll be full too. They also have a carry-out window if you do get there at peak time. Call your order in and show up 20 minutes later and avoid the rush. Get there before prime rush (5:15) or best wait until after 7:30.
Hot Hamburger is the signature dish. A spinoff of the old hot roast beef sandwich, it starts with toast on the bottom, topped with a hamburger patty, smothered with french fries, and a smooth, brown gravy. Variations are a Hot Steak, Hot Cheeseburger, with sauteed onions. The fries are freshly cut and rival anyones, and the gravy just finishes it all off. By the time you get to the bottom, you’ve almost forgot about the hamburger and toast. Other resturants in the area have added hot hamburgers to their menu’s, but don’t be fooled; none have replicated the fries and especially the gravy.
The original owners have passed on, and are laid to rest about 1.5 miles from the resturant under a headstone that reads “And Gravy Over All”.